Where We Started
by Monsterchild
Summary: Set after the third movie. Rogue left the mansion to go find herself. But when the x-men discover that the cure isn't permanent, it's up to Wolverine to find her and bring her back.
1. Chapter 1

Where We Started

Disclaimer: I don't own X-men.

Chapter 1

Logan sighed as he stared up at the ceiling, squeezing a stress ball, his claws extending a little every time he flexed his hand. Days at the mansion were becoming more and more difficult. There were so many people gone, it seemed so empty now.

Jean was definitely at the forefront of his mind. He thought about her every time he had a free moment. The way things happened… The way she died… It pained him to think about it. He had been so in love with her… and he'd been the one to kill her. The thought upset him so much that he accidentally squeezed the small inflatable ball until it popped.

He didn't have a choice at the time though, he understood that. If he hadn't done it, she could've killed countless numbers of people. It had to be done. But knowing that sure didn't make him feel any better about it.

Jean hadn't been herself at the end; he'd tried to reassure himself that. She wasn't the same woman that he'd fallen in love with; she was someone completely different, someone who had taken the life of Scott and of the professor.

One great man, and one incredible pain in the ass, had lost their lives in this foolish war Magneto had forced them into. A war that had caused many casualties, humans and mutants alike, a war that had torn everything apart.

The cure had been the thing to change everything, Logan had decided. It was nice to have something to blame. It had shaken the mutant world to its core, made some think that their powers were a curse, rather than a gift. It had even taken several students from the school.

Of course, he had been thinking of Rogue. She was the only student he'd known well enough to feel the affect of her absence. They'd been close to each other, very close.

She wouldn't answer his calls though. He'd tried for months, calling her cell phone, just to check in on her. He'd always gotten her voicemail. And then, eventually, her phone had been disconnected. He'd asked some of the students if they'd gotten a hold of her, but they hadn't been successful either. It was as if she was trying to leave the mansion behind her, and everyone with it.

Personally, he blamed Bobby. He had put too much pressure on her for a normal relationship. Logan didn't understand the point of that, considering the fact that they were _not_ normal people. Not in the least. So what? Rogue couldn't kiss him, or do anything thing else that he may have wanted her to for that matter, but that was no reason to bail on her to go hang out with Kitty. Rogue would've done anything to make that boy happy, he just didn't realize it.

She had insisted that she was getting the cure for herself, not for Bobby, but Logan wasn't falling for it. He knew it was for the ice idiot, even if she didn't want to admit that it was. It sort of pissed him off just thinking about it.

Yet, despite that, he missed her. A lot. She had been one of the few students he could stand for long periods of time.

He missed training her. She had always shown great promise when it came to combat. Now, he was stuck with Bobby, Kitty, Warren, and Peter. Not that they were bad. Not by any stretch of the imagination. They were all pretty good. But seeing Kitty and Bobby together angered him, knowing that it was their unorthodoxly close "friendship" that made Rogue finally snap. It was their "friendship" that made her finally choose to be "cured."

Logan was torn from his thoughts with a quick knock on his door. He groaned, he really didn't want to deal with people right now. He just wanted to be left alone. But when the knock came again, he knew it was something important. "Coming!" he grumbled as he stood up, setting the remains of the stress ball on the nightstand.

He grabbed onto the doorknob and let out a grunt of pain as his skin stuck to the frozen metal. _Dammit, Iceman…_ he thought as he pulled his hand free. Waiting a moment for it to warm up, he took hold of the knob and yanked open the door.

Bobby was on the other side of it, looking smug.

Logan narrowed his eyes at the young man. "You're pleased with yourself, aren't you?" he growled.

Bobby chuckled. "Yeah, just a little."

Logan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. "Keep in mind that I control one of your grades and I can fail you if you so choose," he threatened.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Logan was starting to get impatient. "So what is it?"

"Oh," the younger one said, remembering his purpose for disturbing his teacher's peace. "Right. Um, Storm wants to see everyone in her office. Says it's important."

AN: This is my first venture in the X-Men fandom. Please be truthful and review!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hey everyone! Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed! I really appreciate it! Also, thank you to those of you who favorited the story or added it to their story alerts! Keep it up!

Disclaimer: (I think I forgot this last time) I don't own the X-Men or any other Marvel creation. I am, however, borrowing them temporarily for my own twisted amusement.

* * *

Chapter 2

"Right," Logan grunted in return to the message. "On my way."

Bobby nodded, backing away from Logan's door. "Meet you down there!" he called as he skated away on a thin layer of ice he created. He'd been doing more and more of the cocky crap like this lately and if he didn't knock it off, Logan felt like he needed to knock the kid's teeth in.

He grudgingly took off in the same direction that Bobby did. His feet slipped out from underneath him on the slick floor the kid left behind, and he whacked his head on the floor. Cursing at the punk kid, he got to his feet and continued on his way to the kitchen.

Beast was there, just as he had been expecting. "Hank," he said, getting the fur-covered, blue mutant's attention.

Beast's head whipped around, eyes wild. His mouth was stuffed full of _something_, and a mustard-covered hot dog was hanging out of it. He obviously hadn't been expecting anyone to bother him.

"Meeting, now," Logan explained, gesturing towards the elevator.

The other mutant gulped down the mouthful and said, "Mark Twain said, 'Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.'"

"Right then," he grumbled in response.

The two walked back down the hallways, passing several students as they went.

"Good morning, Professor Logan," one mousy boy said.

"It's just Logan, kid," he corrected. "I'm not a professor."

The boy didn't seem fazed and continued on his way.

Logan saw Bobby down the hallway, meeting up with Kitty. He had to hold back a retching noise as the snowball gave her a kiss. It just baffled him. How could Bobby act so cool about his relationship with Kitty when he'd broken Rogue's heart? True, it had been over a year ago, but everyone knew what he'd done, the fact he'd left Rogue for Kitty…

He tried not to dwell on it as he and Beast stepped into the elevator. It made him so mad and there was no need to get him riled up before a meeting. There was no doubt that whatever it was about would get him worked up anyways.

"What's this one about?" Hank asked, readjusting his jacket.

Logan shrugged. "Hell if I know. The icicle just told me to get down to Storm's Office. Said it was important."

Hank sighed. "Probably just another recruiting mission."

"I swear, I'm not going this time," Logan insisted as they stepped out of the elevator, across the hall, and into Storm's Office.

They were the last two to arrive. Kitty and Bobby had beaten them because of her phasing ability. Warren, Peter, and Storm had obviously been there for a while. "Good, we're all here," Storm said, standing up as everyone else sat. "Now, earlier today, this report appeared on the news," she continued, turning on the T.V.

"There was great devastation today," the newscaster began, flame rising up behind him in the background, "when a mutant, who had supposedly gotten the cure last year, lost control of his powers. Byron Calley, also known as Burner or Crucible, has the ability to shoot flames from his hands, psyonically induce or retard combustion, and start or stop a fire at a distance of up to two hundred feet. Calley has been in and out of prison since the late seventies and claims that he and the other prisoners had been used as test subjects for the cure. As police took Calley into custody, he kept shouting, 'I got the cure, I got the cure.' This is Bill Ritter with Eyewitness News Channel Seven."

Storm turned off the T.V. and faced the others. "I hope you all understand what this means," she said stiffly.

Bobby was the first to speak. "What _does_ it mean exactly?"

Logan rolled his eyes from across the table. "Jesus, Frosty, it's not that hard to understand. The cure isn't permanent, it wears off."

"Five students," Storm interrupted before Bobby had a chance to reply, "from our school got the cure last year. I've managed to contact four of them, and they are on their way back here so we can help them if and when their powers return. But I haven't been able to find the last one."

No had to ask who it was, it was obvious to all of them.

"How long does she have 'til her powers return?" Peter asked, speaking for the first time.

Storm shook her head. "It's hard to say. It varies from mutant to mutant." She placed a hand on the table that everyone sat around. "We need to find her and fast. Cerebro is out of the question without a telepath. The search will have to be done on foot." She turned to the younger ones of the group. "Do you think you guys can handle it?"

Before any of the others had a chance to respond, Kitty chimed in, "I'm not sure if Bobby or I should go."

Bobby furrowed his brow at her. "Why not? Rogue's our friend, we should help find her."

She leaned toward her boyfriend and lowered her voice. "It just doesn't seem like a god idea, okay?"

His irritation level was rising. "I just don't understand why you don't want to help. She could be in some serious trouble…"

As Kitty began trying to explain to him, the other five tuned it out, hoping that they would stop soon. When it didn't, Logan said, "I'll go."

Bobby and Kitty stopped and the room grew silent. Everyone was staring at Logan.

"I'm going to find her," he said again, meeting their bewildered gazes. "Alone." Getting to his feet, he added, "But I'm not coming back alone." He exited the office, Hank quickly following after.

"You have a devotion to this girl," he stated after the angry mutant.

Logan shot an annoyed glare over his shoulder at the blue beast. "You wouldn't understand," he growled.

"You have feelings for her." It was not a question.

"I promised to protect her," he replied, feet still driving him forward. "And she swore that she'd come back."

"How are you going to find her?" Hank pressed on.

"Don't know, but I am," Logan said gruffly as they entered the garage. He mounted the bike that he now called his and looked back to Hank. "I'll find her."

The latter nodded. "Strangely enough, I know."

The motorcycle roared to life, and Logan took off, leaving the mansion behind.

* * *

AN: Don't forget to hit that review button and tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men, because if I did, I wouldn't have screwed up the third movie.

Author's Note: Okay, so I should probably explain to you what my plan for the story is. I have this entire thing written, except for two chapters. I have six typed up. I will be posting a chapter once a week, every Wednesday. And I know that I didn't post a chapter last week (things came up) and I know that today is Thursday (again things came up yesterday), but from this point forward, a chapter will be posted every Wednesday. So enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3

The snow just kept coming down. The windshield wipers on her truck were going at full speed and still barely making a difference.

Rogue was beginning to hate the snow. Not only did it make driving cross-country more difficult than it needed to be, but it was bringing things to mind that she really didn't want to think about. Things about the way her life had been before she ran off.

The snow reminded her of Bobby. How could it not? His power was ice. His power was all around her, it wasn't as if she could turn a blind eye.

And she was mad at him. Still. After all this time. He'd put a lot of pressure on her. She couldn't touch him, and she should've known that he'd eventually want to be with someone who could. And she should've known that that person would be another mutant, another X-men. She just hadn't expected Kitty.

Sure, she and Kitty weren't exactly _the best of_ friends or anything, but they were _sorta_ friends. Friends didn't do that to each other, right?

Though, Rogue could understand why it was Kitty he chose. It must've been such a release to go from dating a girl who couldn't touch him without killing him to a girl who could walk right through him without hurting him. No more worrying, just… how they felt.

She'd tried. She really had. She went and got the cure. Not just for Bobby and not just for her, but for them together. It just didn't work out. Things were never the same.

So she left. She couldn't stand being there when it was so obvious she was holding Bobby back from something he really wanted. She knew when she was in the way… She kinda hoped they were happy.

Not that she was sure she had made the right decision, in retrospect. It was just that at the time, watching Bobby and Kitty together on the frozen fountain, something snapped inside her. She wanted her powers gone. She had been so sick of not being able to touch anyone… ever.

Though, it hadn't been completely their fault… Everyone's emotions had been running high that day because… well, because of the Professor's death. This giant fixture in their life was now gone…

Three of the X-men were gone. Scott, the Professor, and Jean, all gone. Rogue wondered what it was like at the school with all of them missing. She wondered how everyone was handling it.

But she mostly wondered about how Logan was doing without Jean. Everyone had known how he felt about her, everyone knew that he was crazy in love with her.

Just like Rogue had very confusing feelings about him. There was so much to be confused about. Their beginning had been rocky, a little strange, but then they'd gotten really close. He'd become very protective of her, like an older brother. He had saved her life…

And he hadn't stopped her from getting the cure, told her it was her choice. He'd let her know his opinion, but he hadn't stopped her. Now, she kind of wished he had.

He'd also been there the night she left the mansion for good.

_All of her things were packed, leaving her with an over-stuffed backpack and her duffel bag. She couldn't stay anymore. It was too hard being with the rest of the students when she wasn't like them anymore. They treated her differently. There was no choice but to leave._

_She stepped into the foyer and went straight for the door. She didn't see the point in lingering, in saying goodbye. But as her hand touched the doorknob, a gruff voice said, "I said that you'd always have a home here."_

_She sighed, set down her bags, and turned to face him. He was leaning against the banister to the stairs with his arms crossed over his chest. "You may think that," she said, "but no one else does."_

_He moved toward her slowly. "Who cares what they think?" he replied nonchalantly. "Most of them are idiots anyways."_

_She couldn't look him in the eyes. He'd change her mind if she did. "I don't belong, Logan," she said simply._

"_Fine," he replied in a tone she couldn't decipher. It was hard to tell if he was mad or not. "I know the feeling of wanting to keep moving around. Can't blame you for that."_

_She dared a glance at him but went right back to staring at the floor. "Thanks," she muttered._

_She could hear his dog tags jingling as he messed with them. "But when I left, you made me promise that I would come back."_

_She nudged her duffel bag with her foot. She was really uncomfortable with this._

_The jingling noise moved closer to her and he said, "Now it's your turn."_

_She looked up just in time as he looped the tags around her neck. "What?" This didn't make sense to her._

"_Promise to come back," he said, sweeping her long hair over the chain. "That way you can return these."_

_She hesitated. It wasn't clear to her if she even wanted to come back… But she couldn't say that to him. Touching the chain around her neck, she murmured, "I will."_

_Logan wrapped his arms around her, pressing her head against his chest. It was obvious he didn't want her to go. But he didn't stop her. He released her and grumbled, "Take care, Kid."_

_She leaned down and picked up her bags before saying, "Bye, Wolverine," and disappearing through the door._

Rogue fingered the dog tags around her neck as she thought about him. She hadn't taken them off since that night. It was her way of connecting him to her still. That and the picture of him that she had taped over the odometer.

He had been fixing his motorcycle. She said something to get his attention and snapped the picture just as he turned around, taking him by surprise. She had laughed so hard at the look on his face.

Rogue missed him. She had admitted it to herself just days after she had left. There was no denying how important he was to her, so she was bound to miss him. A lot.

But her feelings confused her. Logan was a friend, a close friend. She always tried to convince herself that he was more of a big brother figure, but she couldn't bring herself to think of him like that.

It didn't help that she'd pictured him naked.

Oh, god, she needed a drink…

She pulled into the parking lot of the next bar she saw and cut the engine. Hesitating, she looked at the picture of Logan again. The overwhelming urge to cry came rushing over her as she sat staring at it. This wasn't how her life was supposed to be. She wasn't supposed to feel this alone.

A drink would help. She left the truck and walked into the nearly empty bar, taking a seat at the bar.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked, walking up to her.

Rogue looked up at him. He wasn't much older than her. Tall, blonde. She had to admit he was kind of cute. "Beer," she said. "On tap."

The young man nodded and went off to fill her request. She sighed and ran her fingers over the engraved letters on the dog tags. Of all the things from her life at the school, the one thing she could never bring herself to leave behind was Logan. She didn't have the intention of returning, although she promised him, but when the thought of trying to forget Logan came to mind, she could feel tears sting the back of her eyes.

Her mind kept her distracted so she didn't even notice when the bartender placed the beer in front of her. "Missing someone?" he asked, snapping her from her daze.

"Huh?" she replied, letting go of the dog tags, almost afraid of having someone notice her attachment to them.

"The dog tags," the man said, pointing to the metal hanging around her neck. "You miss him?"

She clutched onto the metal again, staring at them. "Yeah," she replied fondly.

The man smiled. "Where is he?"

Rogue couldn't bear to take her gaze from the piece of Logan she held. "Westchester. New York."

He started wiping down the counter around them. "So you're not from around here then?"

She shook her head., taking her gaze from her treasure and tucking them into her shirt. "Naw."

"Then why aren't you there? What're you doing all the way out here in the middle of no damn place?" he asked, leaning again the counter.

She couldn't tell if he was feigning interest or if he was really interested. It didn't matter to her, she just needed someone to listen. "Trying to find my way home."

He nodded. "Where's home? Westchester?"

His final question laid heavily on her chest. "No," she said softly, turning her glass around. "I don't know _where_ home is…"

* * *

AN: Thanks for all the reviews! Please keep them up!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or the characters.

Chapter 4

Logan didn't like this. He had never felt comfortable in over-populated areas. Now here he was in the heart of suburbia itself. He could see why Rogue left in the first place. It didn't seem like a place where she would be happy.

He pulled up in front of a house that looked exactly like all the others and cut the engine. He should've thought of what he wanted to say to her parents before he got there. Too late now.

He walked up to the door and hesitated. He didn't know what to expect. Were her parents like Bobby's? Did they hate mutants? Or were they different? Sucking it up, he knocked.

Her father was the one who answered the door. He was an older man, in his fifties most likely. "Can I help you?" he asked in a southern drawl.

"Sir," he said formally. "I'm Logan, I work for Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

"Oh," her father replied, his tone and face softening. "Come in."

Logan followed him inside. He was led into the main room where a woman, he assumed Rogue's mother, sat at a piano. "Who's this?" she asked her husband in a similar southern accent.

"He's from Marie's school," he explained as he gestured for Logan to sit.

"I wanted to see how Marie is doing since she left," he lied as he sat down. "We like to check up on the students who left after receiving the cure."

"We were so happy when she came back home," her mother started excitedly. "We hadn't seen her in such a long time. And when she told us that she'd gotten the cure! Whew!"

"We wanted a normal life for Marie," her father explained in a calmer manner. "She couldn't have that without being able to touch people."

Logan didn't like that her parents didn't accept her gift, but he stayed quiet.

"When she came home, it was like she never left," her mom went on happily. "She hung out with her old friends, she went on a few dates even…"

He could feel his muscles involuntarily clench. Dates? With guys? Hell, he didn't even like when she went out with Bobby, and he knew that little punk. The thought of her going out with strange guys he didn't even know made him… twitchy. Guys wanted only one thing from a girl like her.

"She even got a full time job at the mall to save money for college," her mother finished proudly.

"It was like she was living a normal life again," her father added quietly.

Normal? Logan hated that word. What was so great about being normal? And college? That didn't seem like something that Rogue would be preparing for. There must've been something. Something that she didn't tell her parents, something else she was doing.

"So where is she now?" he asked, looking from one to the other. "I've tried her cell phone, but it isn't working. I was thinking that you probably had her current number."

Her father shook his head slowly. "We haven't heard from Marie since she left six months ago."

Logan tried his best to hide his concern. "Where'd she go?"

"She said she was going to tour colleges," her mother explained.

No, this wasn't right. That wasn't something she'd do. They didn't know _what_ she was doing…

The man sitting across from Logan eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you so interested in my daughter's whereabouts?" he asked accusingly.

The mutant looked the worried man in the eye. He couldn't tell them that the cure was going to wear off Rogue and that she'd be back to the way she'd been. "There is something important that we need her help with back at the school," he lied.

"I see," her father said, relaxing a bit.

Logan sighed. He wasn't getting any of the answers that he needed. "I'd like to look around her room, see what colleges she's planning on hitting."

"Marie's room is up the stairs and to the left," her mom informed him without hesitation.

He got to his feet, thanked them, and went up the stairs. There was only one door to the left. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open, stepping inside.

Her room suited her. It looked like she had just been here, not like it had been deserted for the past six months.

He investigated her computer desk first. There was a pile of mail the size of a small child sitting on the corner. Siphoning through it, he passed over bank statements and catalogs. He noted the letters from people from Xavier's, most from Bobby (out of guilt, Logan assumed), and he realized that in all of this, there were no college catalogs.

He booted up the computer in hopes of finding something that would give her away. Once the computer had loaded completely, a window to her email opened automatically.

There were only a read emails in her inbox, all of which were from local friends.

The first one was from a girl name Sierra. "I don't think you should come to the party tonight," it read. "Some people are a little freaked out by you. I know, I know, you don't have your powers anymore, but it still would be best that you didn't come."

The next one was from a guy named Cody. "I don't know what you expected, Maire. I'm never gonna look at you the same way ever again. You put me in a coma for three weeks. I don't want anything to do with you."

Logan remembered what Rogue had told him when they first met. She had put the first boy she kissed in a coma for three weeks. This must've been the guy.

The rest of the emails were to the same tune as the others. The people who were once her good friends were ditching her. They wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

He shut the computer down and looked around the room again on the far wall behind her bed was a map that took up the majority of the wall. Logan stepped onto her bed to get a closer look at it.

There were at least thirty destinations marked. And under each city name were dates. Dates saying exactly how long she was staying in each city and when exactly.

It was like she wanted him to find her, she was making this way too easy for him. She had her exact whereabouts mapped out right in front of him.

He took a step back and used the cell phone Storm had given him to take a picture of the map. Storm was a little obsessive about keeping all of the X-men in contact with each other. He'd insisted that he'd never use the thing, but she demanded it.

Logan sat down on her bed and leaned back on the pillows, sliding the phone back into his pocket. The pillows underneath him gave an unusual crumpling noise, confusing him. He sat up and dug underneath them to find the source, retrieving a pile of pictures from the mansion.

The photo on top of the pile was a large group photo of people from the mansion. Only a few had even realized that a picture was being taken.

The one closest to the camera was Colossus. His hand was reaching out of the frame, presumably to take the picture. Nightcrawler was to the left, cheating on DDR. He used his tail as a third leg, warranting glares from his opponents, Bobby and Pyro. Wolverine was busy torturing Cyclops who had passed out on the couch. Professor Xavier had rolled into the room just in time for the picture to be taken and shot a smile at the camera. Storm sat in an armchair with a surprised look on her face as Kitty phased through her. And Rogue was in the back corner, watching everyone happily.

Then there was Jean. She was approaching Scott and Wolverine at the time the picture was taken. She looked… she looked like she always did. Radiant, confident, perfect in every way. And Logan could feel himself missing her with almost every fiber of his being. It was just painful looking at this.

He put the photo down and moved on to the next one. This one was of him. He was tuning his motorcycle. The next one was of him too. He was spacing, playing with his dog tags absentmindedly. The third was on him after he'd passed out on the couch one day.

Logan didn't understand why she had so many pictures of him. Yeah, they were close, but he didn't expect her to think about him so much. Or have so many pictures of him.

He placed them back in their hiding place under the pillows. If Rogue had wanted them, she'd have taken them in the first place.

He took another minute to reevaluate the map. She was supposed to be arriving in Laughlin City the next day.

With a direction in mind, giving him a renewed vigor, he left the room and the house completely. He climbed onto his bike and it roared to life, riding off.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

AN: Okay, so this chapter has mild sexual content. This fic _is_ rated M for a reason. Just warning you now. (And this chapter won't be the only one…)

* * *

Chapter 5

Rogue yawned. It was almost midnight, and she was still on the road. She knew that she needed to stop and get some sleep or she'd crash her truck. And then what would she do?

She found a fairly deserted parking lot of a 24 hour diner and parked. This way when she woke up, she'd be able to get food in her stomach right away.

She climbed from the cab of the truck and looped around to the back. This was something that she figured out just a few weeks before she left. It would save her a lot of money if she slept in the bed of the truck. And with the Gem Top cover, the weather wouldn't be a problem.

Laying down on the mattress she kept back there and pulling the blankets around her, Rogue sighed. She wasn't sure what she was doing anymore. She had gone on this trip to find a new life, find someplace to start all over again. She wanted someplace that she felt like she belonged.

But nothing felt right. Nothing felt the same as the mansion once had. There wasn't the energy, the fun… There wasn't Logan.

She cursed at herself for thinking about him again. Sure, he'd been a big part of her life for a long time, but she was moving on with her life now, starting knew. It was time to let go. To let go of everything but especially him.

Then why couldn't she bring herself to remove his dog tags? She had tried, she just couldn't. It was painful to admit, but no matter where she went or how she tried to cut him out, Logan would always be a part of her.

These feelings were strange and very confusing to her. He was a mentor to her, but she wanted more than that…. She wanted to get so very close to him. It was just that there was so much keeping them apart.

Their age for example. She was only 21, and he was… well, nobody knew his real age. Still there was a difference, a notable difference.

There was Jean as well. Yes, she was technically gone, but her spirit still remained. It rained heavily on Logan, and Rogue knew that. The woman still held Logan's heart, and it was hard to tell when he'd be able to give it to someone else. Logan was broken over her, and Rogue wasn't sure if she'd be able to wait forever.

And finally, there was Bobby. Rogue still felt hurt over the way that things had ended between them. He chose Kitty over her. And he didn't want to admit that their relationship was over until it had gone on for too long. She hated to admit that he had, but he had broken her heart.

Shoving all thoughts of Bobby from her mind, she drifted to sleep. All she wanted to think about was Logan…

_The next thing Rogue knew, a hand laid over her cheek. It was rough, callused. It reminded her of… "Logan?" she mumbled, opening her eyes._

_He smiled down at her, moving his hand from her creamy skin into her brown and white hair. "Marie," he said uncharacteristically soft. "I found you."_

_She ran a hand over his forearm and replied breathlessly, "I knew you would."_

_Logan lowered his head so his lips were just centimeters away from hers. "And I'm never letting you go again," he whispered before catching her lips with his._

_She welcomed the kiss wholeheartedly and opened her mouth slightly, granting his tongue entrance. Their tongues explored each other's mouths as Logan's bodyweight pressed Rogue into the mattress. She could feel the bulge in his jeans growing and digging into her hip._

_His hands slid up her shirt as his mouth ventured away from her lips. He nipped at her neck, making her squirm in delight. He chuckled slightly and began sucking on the milky skin over her collarbone._

_She moaned loudly and bucked her hips up against him, causing Logan to groan. Pulling her shirt over her head and revealing a lacy white bra, she allowed his mouth and hands to explore her upper body._

_His rough hands ran over her soft skin, sending chills up and down her body. This felt so damn good…_

Rogue woke with a jolt, panting. Her body felt tacky with sweat. She threw the blankets off. She couldn't calm her shaking… That dream…

She needed to get out of this truck, she decided. It was noon already, she couldn't believe that she'd slept so long. Changing into clean clothes, she climbed out of the back of the truck and grabbed her map from the cab. It was getting close to the end of her journey, and she needed to decide where she was going to stay…

Taking a seat in the back corner, Rogue spread the map across the table. A waitress came over, and Rogue ordered coffee and a stack of pancakes.

There were X's marked over every location she had been to. No place felt like a home should. She folded the map back up and pushed it away from her. She couldn't look at her failure anymore.

When her food came, she tried to stifle her thoughts as she ate. She didn't want to think about how she didn't know where she was going to end up when all of this was over. Or how the only thing she did know was her next destination. She didn't know how Logan did it for all those years. This wasn't any way to live.

She ate quickly and left the diner, leaving enough money on the table to cover her bill and the tip. She didn't want to be left alone with her thoughts for too long. At least in the truck she had the road to focus on.

She stayed focused on the white lines, on the black road. She just wanted to drive, no thinking. Just drive.

She had been driving for nearly six hours when she realized something: her map was sitting on the table of the diner. The map that had all of her destinations on it. The map that carried her whole plan on it: gone.

Her mind debated on whether or not to turn around. It was six hours away and who knew if it was even still there. She knew her next stop, and she could always pick up a new map. It was practically etched on her mind permanently anyways.

She continued forward. That's what the whole trip was about, going forward. She couldn't turn back now for anything.

After two more hours, she arrived in Laughlin City. She had been dreading, yet anticipating, her whole trip. This place held a lot of memories for her. This was the place where she met Logan for the first time. And there had been something about him that made her think he could help.

Again, Rogue cursed at herself. She wasn't supposed to be thinking about him. It was time to _try_ to let him go, not think about him every chance she got. No, she needed to forget. She needed to get a drink.

There was a bar not that far into town that she decided would do. But she knew it was a mistake the second she walked inside.

The first thing she noticed was the cage in the middle of the establishment. It was empty at the moment, considering it was still fairly early in the night. The whole place seemed pretty empty.

But as Rogue stood staring at the caged platform all she could think of was Logan. It was in that very cage that she had first seen him. She had totally not meant to end up at the very spot where they first met.

Now she really needed to forget. She took a seat at the bar and ordered a stiff drink, ready for it to work its magic.

* * *

AN: Sorry again for the late update! I think I get screwed up because my work week is Tuesday-Saturday, it feels like Wednesday is Tuesday and I get all messed up. But anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men. If I did, I wouldn't have let Brett Ratner anywhere near it.

* * *

Chapter 6

Laughlin City. That was the next destination for Rogue. And Logan was going to catch her there before she could move on again.

Logan had left Rogue's parents' house the previous day and hadn't stop since, with exception of getting gas. He wanted to catch her and soon. He wanted to stop her from running away like he had always done…

But he was starting to feel the need for food. So, he stopped at a 24 hour diner for food.

It felt like he was back on the road again, travelling like he once had. Just packing up and taking everything with him. He'd stopped at a million places like this when he traveled and this place was no different from the others.

The counter was full up so he took a seat in a booth in the back. The waitress came up to him and took his order: a burger and some coffee to give him a caffeine jolt.

Once she walked away, Logan stared down at the table. He didn't understand what Rogue was doing. This wasn't like her. She wasn't the type to keep running. Was she?

"Oh, that girl must've left this," the waitress said as she set down Logan's coffee and picked up a folded map from the table.

"What girl?" he asked in interest. It could've been her.

The waitress raised her eyebrows at him. "Looking for someone?" she replied.

He nodded. "Yeah. She's supposed to be headed up this way."

She held on to the map tightly, reluctant to let it go. "What's this girl of yours look like?"

He sighed. "She's young, about 21 years old, medium height, brown hair with strands of white…"

The waitress smiled. "That's her," she said, handing the map over. "Bet she'll need this. Hope you find her," she added before walking away.

Logan looked down at the map in his hand. If her map was here, then she was flying blind. This map held her entire trip in it. He sighed, at least it made it easier for _him_.

When his food came, he downed it as fast as he could. Laughlin city was still hours away. He wanted to get there as soon as possible.

Eight hours of riding could take a toll on a person. Logan was so exhausted by the time he reached Laughlin City. He just wanted to stop a get a drink. But the nagging feeling that Rogue was out there somewhere kept at him. He even had an idea of where exactly she could be, but he wanted to save that place as a last resort.

He checked all of the motels first. She hadn't been to any of them. All of the restaurants and most of the bars hadn't seen her.

Another hour had passed, and he called it quits. He'd find her eventually, he knew everywhere she was going. He decided to get a drink at the only bar he hadn't checked, a specific bar.

He'd saved the place where they met for last. It occurred to him that she might want to go back, that maybe it was the reason she came back to Laughlin City in the first place. Then again, she could want to avoid it…

Logna parked his bike. The place was pretty deserted, but it was a Tuesday night after all. The only other cars were a beat up pickup truck and an old junker car which looked like it shouldn't even be able to run.

He sighed. It was doubtful that she was driving either one of those.

Logan pushed the door open. There was no fight going on tonight, he noticed. And there weren't that many people at the bar.

But he caught her profile. Long brown hair, streaks of white, a travel cloak wrapped around her small frame, and dog tags hanging loosely around her neck. He smiled. There was his girl.

She hadn't spotted him yet, so he walked up and sat down right next to her. "Hey, Kid," he said nonchalantly.

Rogue lifted her eyes to see who was talking to her, but as soon as her eyes caught him, they widened in shock. "Logan…" she whispered.

* * *

AN: Thanks a lot to everyone who's been reviewing. It's good to know that people like this story. I know it's short, but i left it somewhere good. And I actually got it up on Wednesday for once! I mean, it's almost midnight, but this time I have a really good excuse! My friend's in the hospital and I was with her until 10 tonight. So… yeah. Anyways, please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

* * *

Chapter 7

Rogue couldn't stop herself from throwing her arms around Logan's neck. It was a surprise to see him, certainly –how'd he know where she was?– but she was happy, none-the-less.

Logan returned the hug happily. The fact that Rogue was here, that he'd finally found her pushed everything else from her mind. "Good to see you, kid," he said, tousling her hair.

She pulled away from him, still smiling. "You too, Logan," she sighed back at him, taking her seat on the barstool. "How'd you find me out here?"

He shrugged, taking a seat on the stool next to hers. "Little investigational work," he explained. "I talked to your parents, found your wall map, and this definitely helped." He reached into his jacket pocket and set it down on the bar.

She grinned as she picked it up. "What're the odds that you were the one to find it?"

Logan caught the bartender and ordered a beer. "We want you to come back to Xavier's," he explained to her once the bartender walked away.

Her smile disappeared, and she focused her attention on the bar. "We?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," he said. "Storm, Hank, Peter, Bobby-"

"Oh please," she interrupted in disbelief. "Bobby doesn't want me to come back because he misses me. He wants to feel less guilty. Less like it was _his_ fault that I left."

"Was it his fault?" he pressed as the bartender delivered his drink.

She still didn't look up at him. "Sorta," she muttered. She was disappointed in herself for that fact. "It was really a lot of different things." She took a drink from her glass. Logan thought that the golden liquid inside smelled stronger then he assumed she drank, but he wasn't sure. "I wasn't the same person anymore, I didn't have powers," she stared down at her ungloved hand. "I didn't fit in. People treated me different. Bobby was in love with Kitty but couldn't do anything because of me." Her fist clenched tightly. "People were… _gone_ and there was a weird feeling around the mansion because of it. I just thought it might be easier to leave."

He took a swig of beer, staring her down. "And your plan was to what? Go back to your old life and pretend like the last three and a half years never happened?"

She scoffed. It all sounded so stupid now. "Yeah," she admitted, spinning the glass around. "That _was_ the plan. But things didn't really work out there either."

"So you took off," Logan finished for her. "But I don't understand what your whole idea was. You just went off on this crazy trip, not telling anyone where you were going. Your parents think you're looking at colleges." He leaned towards her, forcing her eyes to meet this stare. "What are you really doing?"

She wanted to look away and lie. She wanted to tell him anything but the truth. But this was Logan… "I'm running away…"

There was an awkward silence. Rogue could feel a heavy weight on her chest. If anyone could stop her, it would be Logan. And she didn't want to be stopped.

"That's what I thought," he replied stiffly.

"But you don't understand, Logan," she insisted, desperation in her voice as she moved closer to him. "I wasn't accepted by _anyone_. Humans hated me 'cause I was a mutant. Mutants hated me because I got the cure."

"Not all mutants," he snapped before taking a swig.

She sighed. It was obvious that he was disappointed in her. "I just needed to start over in a new place. I needed to forget everything…"

Reaching out toward her, he took a hold of the dog tags around her neck. "Apparently not everything."

Her eyes darted down to stare the pieces of metal in his hand. "I tried, Logan," she whispered. "Believe me, I tried. But I couldn't take them off, I just couldn't."

Logan released the tags, letting them fall heavily against her chest. "And that didn't tell you something?"

"It told me _something_," she replied. _Just not what you think_, her brain finished for her. "I didn't want to think about it though. I just wanted to move one with my life." She took another gulp of her drinking, wincing at the sting it caused going down.

"Well, too damn bad," he snapped in return. "Cause you're coming back to the mansion with me."

Her fingers danced over the glass. "I don't know if I can," she murmured, barely loud enough for him to hear.

He poked the tags around her neck. "You promised," he said stonily.

A sigh escaped her lips as she pulled the tags over her head. "I guess these are yours then," she replied, setting them down on the bar.

He scooped them up and slipped them around his own neck. They felt foreign there now. "Thanks."

Another silence surrounded them. There was something passing between them that neither wanted to mention. Something wasn't right between them, and they both knew it.

"How's everyone at the school?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

He shrugged. "It's pretty normal. Storm is enjoying being in charge. Hank has started teaching advanced physics, American history, world literature, and mutant-human relations. Training the X-Men juniors has turned out to be a little more annoying than I originally thought…"

"Cause of Bobby and Kitty?" she asked hastily as she took a drink.

Damn. He'd been hoping she wouldn't bring it up. They… they were happy together. But he didn't want to tell _her_ that.

Then again, he wasn't gonna bullshit her either. He wasn't the type to sugarcoat things. "They're sickening," he finally muttered.

That's when Rogue did something that Logan hadn't expected: she laughed. It was whole-hearted and happy. He liked hearing her laugh like that.

He chuckled. "Ice cube has become a cocky little ass, too. I just want to kick him in the head sometimes."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he tends to make people want to do that."

"And there are some new recruits," he offered to change the subject. "There's a new girl named Tabitha Smith. She likes to be called…" he shuttered, "Boom Boom."

Rogue nearly choked on her drink. "Boom Boom?" she spat out, holding back a laugh. "Really? What's her power?"

"She summons balls of energy and makes them explode," he explained.

His companion blanched. "Oh," she said shortly.

He smiled. "Yeah. But she needs work. There have been small… incidents around the mansion, like things blowing up for no reason."

Another laugh escaped from her lips. "Sounds like you have your hands full…"

Another silence came over them. There was a question that she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure how to approach it. "Um," she started. "How're you doing since… well, now that Jean's gone?"

He winced at her wording and replied by taking a long drink from his beer, finishing off the bottle. He emitted an exasperated sigh. "It's been rough," he grumbled, signaling the bartender for another beer.

Rogue took another drink. "You wanna talk about it?" she asked, shifting toward him.

"What's there to talk about?" he growled. "She's dead, kid," his hand gripped the empty beer bottle tightly, "and I killed her." In an instant, his grip around the bottle closed and the bottled shattered.

Rogue flinched at the sound of the breaking glass and sighed. "You didn't have a choice, Logan. She was going to-"

"I know what she was going to do," he snapped. "I don't need you or anyone else reminding me of it." A grumbling bartender with a rag and new beer appeared in front of him and he slammed back a long drink, downing half the bottle.

She emptied her glass. There was an awkward moment between them. Neither knew what to say. "I just thought that it would be good for you to talk about it," she admitted sheepishly.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. Turning to face Rogue, he started, "Look it's a lot more complicated than you think, Kid."

That was it. She had had it. _He_ was the one who didn't understand. In her anger, she slammed her fist against the hard oak counter, gaining Logan's undivided attention. She stood, flustered, her hands gripping the surface in front of her. "Logan, look at me," she growled, facing him.

He did, confusion covering his face.

"I ain't a kid anymore," she said sternly. "I'm 21, for Christ's sake. Stop treating me like I don't understand what you went through." Her voice softened. "I've grown up."

And for the first time since he'd gotten there, he took a good long look at her. Things _were_ different. Her hair had gotten longer. Her face was older. Not drastically, but she had a more mature look and way about her. There were laugh lines at the corners of her eyes. It was the first time that he really registered that they were getting drinks in a bar together. She was right, she wasn't a kid anymore.

He was at a loss for words. There was no way in hell that he was going to admit to her that she was right. Nor was he going to admit to her that he had been thinking about her more and more lately, and he'd been slowly letting Jean go. Those were things that she didn't need to know.

He looked away from her and her prying eyes. They could drill a hole in his skull if he stared too long. His eyes wandered away and focused on something behind the bar. Three pictures under a heading that said, "KEEP OUT." And the third photo was a picture of Logan himself from when he's fought here nearly four years ago.

"We should go," Logan said, looking back to Rogue.

She didn't question it. Getting to her feet, she reached for her wallet but was stopped short.

"I'll get it," he insisted, pulling his wallet from his back pocket and tossing down twenty bucks.

And when he turned back around, he did something that surprised even him: he took hold of her bare hand and led her from the bar.

It was hard for Rogue to keep her heart from bursting through her chest. Her fingers were intertwined with Logan's, the man who she had real significant feelings for, for a long time. And for once, she could touch him without hurting him.

"Which car is yours?" he asked her, releasing her hand. It wasn't as though he wanted to, but he figured that if he held on too long, she would get freaked out.

Her heart dropped slightly as he let go. "The pick-up truck," she said, leading him toward it.

He smiled. He kinda liked the idea of her driving a pick-up truck. Not sure why, but he did. "You want me to just follow behind or what?"

She shook her head. "Nah, just toss your bike in the back and I'll drive."

His eyebrows raised skeptically as he wheeled his motorcycle toward her truck. "_You'll_ drive?"

She hesitated at the back of the truck. "You gotta problem with that?"

He leaned against his bike. "No," he said, "I just think we'd live to see another day if I drove."

There was no hesitation as she punched him on the arm. "Stop with the macho man crap. My truck, I drive."

He rubbed his arm, even though it hadn't hurt. "Well, I guess I will follow behind you then."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She went over to the driver's side door and said, "Try to keep up, okay?"

He smiled as she climbed in as started the truck with a roar. He climbed on his bike and followed her out of the parking lot.

They drove down the road for a few minutes until Rogue veered off the road into a small wooded area. They moved deeper into the woods, and Rogue finally killed the engine. Logan followed suit. "Where are we?" he asked as she climbed from the cab of the truck.

"Just setting up camp for the night. I like places like this where there aren't going to be a lot of people," she said, leaning against the truck.

Logan was confused; this wasn't connecting in his brain. "Wait. You sleep in your truck?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's a lot cheaper than a hotel."

"You're also more likely to freeze to death," he joked.

She playfully narrowed her eyes at him. "I have enough blankets to die of heat stroke," she retorted as she pulled open the back of the truck.

Logan noticed the mattress and blankets for the first time. He paused. This was just weird, climbing into the back of a truck to sleep… with Rogue.

She crawled into the truck bed, trying to still her pounding heart. This couldn't be happening, she was sure of it. This all had to be a dream, right?

But it was all very real when Logan laid down next to her. She could feel his body heat next to her, even when she pulled the blankets over them. It was comfortable, yet uncomfortable at the same time.

A tension sprung up between them. There was something there, but they didn't want to see it. Until some force of nature caused Rogue to turn onto her side and rest her head and arm on Logan's chest.

Her heart was trying to break his ribs it was beating so hard. She was afraid that he'd make some stupid comment and tell her to get off him. But he didn't. In fact, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to him.

Her heartbeat found his and synced with it. Their breathing lined up, and they were on their way to sleep. Until Logan pulled her even closer to him and said softly, "I've known for a long time that you aren't a kid."

She looked up at him, slightly confused. "Then why-"

But she didn't finish her sentence nor her thought. Logan's lips had collided onto hers. He embraced her lips with his, sending a good chill down her spine.

* * *

AN: Yeah, I know, bad place to leave it. Anyway, next chapter will be smut. Please Review!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

AN: As I promised: Smut. Enjoy. I'd call this moderate sexual content, it's not that intense, but I think it's good for my first smut fic. Anyways, Enjoy.

P.S. Sorry that I didn't post this on Wednesday. I uploaded it and then got distracted before I posted it. I thought I had it up, but then when I looked today, I hadn't. Yeah, I'm a spaz, but at least I can admit it.

* * *

Chapter 8

Rogue couldn't believe this was happening. After putting her first kiss into a coma, she never imagined that she'd ever get to do this with _anyone_. And now it was happening with Logan.

He trailed hot kisses down her jaw and neck, goosebumps erupting across her skin. "Logan," she gasped. "Are you sure about this?"

He pulled away from her just enough to stare into her deep brown eyes. "Of course, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Without another moment of hesitation, he attacked her lips again. She arched her body up into his, making him groan. She smiled against his lips and pressed her hips harder against his.

He groaned again as he moved his lips to her neck. Her body shuddered in delight as he nibbled and sucked on her neck. There was a tingle that went all the way down to her toes. His hands danced over her body, feeling up and down her sides before they finally slipped under her shirt. The skin of her sides and stomach felt so silky smooth.

She shivered under his burning touch, and he laughed against her neck. The bulge in his pants pressed against her hip, and she teasingly pushed her leg up against it. Logan let out another groan and bit down on her neck harder than intended, making Rogue hiss in pleasure.

His hands slid farther up her sides, taking the shirt with them. She raised her arms, and he tugged the shirt off, leaving her chest only covered by a black bra.

Rogue took control for a moment and managed to flip themselves over, giving her the opportunity to straddle his hips and grind down onto him. Logan arched into her, causing her to moan loudly. As she threw her head back in pleasure, her head made contact with the low Gem Top roof and she yelped, "Ow!"

"You alright?" Logan asked out-of-breath.

She lowered her face to his, her hands on either side of him. Then, in a lustful voice she whispered in his ear, "Never better." She leaned forward just another inch and took his earlobe into her mouth. He writhed underneath her as she bit down playfully, her tongue running over the tender skin.

Rogue could tell that he was getting antsy. Logan was not one to give up control willingly. But she wanted to tease him for just one minute longer.

She took her time unbuttoning his flannel shirt and yanking off the underlying wife-beater. Teasingly slowly, she kissed across his collarbone and down his chest, all the way down his stomach to the waistband of his jeans. But she didn't go any further than that. Instead, she curled herself back into a sitting position, sitting as straight as she could (without hitting her head again) and pressed her body down onto Logan's.

He couldn't help but stare at her in awe. There was a delicious contrast of the black against her creamy white skin. The long hair fell around her face but brushed her mid-back.

She reached behind her back and released the clasp of her bra, letting it slide down her arms, her chest now bare.

That was all he could handle. Taking back control, he flipped them back over, kissing her passionately. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him against her. He was starting to wonder where she'd learned this stuff. His mouth bore down on her, exploring the newly exposed skin. He took one of her nipples in his mouth roughly, and she gasped, which then turned into a moan.

Logan's mouth moved to the other breast. Rogue bucked her hips in wanting. He grinned at her persistence and unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, sliding a hand inside her underwear.

His fingers flicked and pinched her clit, and Rogue whimpered and moaned, arching against his hand. "Oh, god, Logan." He smiled against her skin and kissed it softly.

She squirmed against his hand, still moaning his name. He could feel himself getting harder than ever before at the sound of his name on her lips. Her moans grew louder as he slipped a finger inside of her and pumped it back and forth.

"Oh, Logan," she moaned. "I want you…"

He leaned forward and captured her lips with his as he slipped in another finger. Rogue's hands fumbled with his belt –it had the X logo on the buckle– and then with the button and zipper. She slid her hand into his pants and gripped his hardened length.

He moaned her name –Marie, not Rogue– and she took that as encouragement to palm him.

Logan knew and could feel that he was quickly losing control of himself. He needed her… and soon. Removing his hand from inside of her (with a whine of protest from her), he pulled her jeans and black panties off, leaving her completely naked in front of him. Sitting up, he took a moment to absorb the beauty of her naked form. She squirmed self-consciously, like she didn't want him looking at her. "God," he breathed, "you're so beautiful."

A blush covered her cheek, and she smiled bashfully. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously as her eyes raked over his naked chest. He knew what she wanted and she was going to get it.

He reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and opened it. The small square package was right where it was supposed to be, and he set it aside as he tucked his wallet back where it belonged. It was only then that he stripped off his jeans and boxer briefs.

Rogue picked up the condom and ripped open the package with her teeth. She rolled the condom onto his hard member before laying back on the mattress. Logan hovered above her and kissed her gently. "Are you ready?" he asked softly.

She nodded surely, even though she was still biting her bottom lip.

Giving her one more kiss, he lowered his body as she brought hers up and lined up with her entranced. Slowly, he pushed into her tight warmth, not wanting to hurt her by going too fast.

Her nails dug into his back as he pushed into her farther. She cried out in pain and tears sprung into her eyes.

Logan stopped for a moment. "Do you want to stop?"

She shook her head and wiped at the tears. "No," she gasped, "it's okay."

He petted her hair as he pushed in until he couldn't go any farther. And just as slowly, he pulled out and pushed back in.

Gradually, Rogue's body relaxed under his, and she began rocking her hips up as he went down. The pace quickened and the air was filled with heavy panting and moaning.

Logan clutched her hips so tightly she was sure that there would be bruises there. He thrust into her wantonly as she screamed his name.

Each of his thrusts was met with her bucking hips. Their bodies fit together perfectly. He seemed to anticipate her every move and every need, as she seemed to know his. She threw her head backwards, her chest lifting off the mattress. Logan's lips met the tender skin and trailed down her chest, and she moaned his name.

He was so close, he could feel it. It wouldn't be much longer until he exploded.

Rogue moaned loudly and arched into him. Her muscles tightened around his cock as she orgasmed, sending him toppling over the edge as well.

Logan came into the condom with a few slow thrusts and a grunt. It took all of his remaining strength not to collapse on top of her. He kissed her forehead softly and pulled out, earning a whine from her. He disposed of the condom –there was a small trash bag in the far corner of the truck bed– and laid down next to her.

She placed her head against his chest and tangled her leg with his. Sighing contentedly, she said, "I know I have no frame of reference, but that was amazing."

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her hair. While he had assumed that she was a virgin, it was nice to hear from her that nothing had ever happened, with anyone. "I think so, too."

It felt right to them, laying there to together, sweaty body against sweaty body. The content feeling was what caused Rogue to say, "I love you, Logan."

He brushed a strand of hair from her face and replied, "I love you, too, Marie."

She stretched up and kissed him before settling back against his chest.

They were well on their way to sleep when a thought struck Logan: the cure. How could he have let that slip from his mind? It was his whole reason for being here! "Hey, kid," he said softly.

"Hmm?" she mumbled, her eyes staying shut.

"There's something important I need to tell you," he replied, running his hand along the bare skin of her back.

"Can it wait 'til mornin'?" she asked sleepily.

He hesitated. It had held off this long… what could a few more hours hurt? "Sure."

"M'kay," she yawned. "Goodnight, Logan."

"Goodnight." He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, all thoughts of the cure and what Rogue didn't know pushed to the back of his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men

* * *

Chapter 9

The sun shone down through the window of the Gem Top onto Rogue's face. She stirred slightly and opened her eyes. Her bare chest, head, and arm were all pressed against Logan's naked chest. She remembered the events from the night before and gave a happy sigh. This felt so right.

The feeling of her bare chest against his was amazing to her. Not only because of what had happened between them, but because she could touch. She could have the majority of her bare skin pressing on him and it wouldn't hurt him.

She closed her eyes again, snuggling up closer to him and thought about how happy she was that her first sexual experience was with someone she loved. It had been even more amazing than she'd imagined. Logan had been so gentle with her, even though his body was controlling his brain. He'd made it special.

As her mind slowly started to drift, Logan's body tensed and he made a gasping noise as if he was struggling for air. Startled, Rogue looked up at him. His skin seemed to be sucked toward his bones, veins popping out. His eyes were big, nearly popping out of the sockets. And he could barely breathe.

She couldn't understand what the hell was happening to him. Then it occurred to her: it was what _she_ was doing _to_ him. Quickly, she sat up and backed away from him, making sure she was no longer in contact with him. His body relaxed and dropped, his eyes shut.

It was impossible to calm her nerves. She had no clue what was happening. Her powers… she had just used her powers again. And she didn't know why or how.

Logan wasn't waking back up. He was just laying there, not moving. Rogue didn't know what to do. She needed help.

Pulling on her jeans and Logan's flannel shirt she climbed out of the back of the truck. There was no one around. "Help!" she called out to no avail. The night before she wanted a secluded place, and she had found one.

She called out a few more times but nothing happened. It was useless. And she was helpless.

Accepting defeat, she broke down. She fell to the ground, pulled her knees to her chest, and cried. What was happening to her? She didn't understand. The cure. The cure should've worked. It _had_ been working… What had changed?

She sat there for what felt like forever, motionless, crying. She was afraid to move. She didn't want to hurt anyone or anything. This wasn't supposed to happen.

After a while, Logan climbed out from the back of the truck, dressed in his jeans, his wife-beater, and his leather jacket, with his motorcycle gloves in hand. His hand rested on Rogue's shoulder lightly, eliciting a scream of "Don't touch me!" from her. He pulled his hand away and held out the gloves. "You might need these," he said calmly.

Her chin rested on her knees as she looked up. She reached out and took the gloves. Silently, she slid the leather gloves over her creamy hands. They were loose on her but just tight enough so they didn't fall off. "What is going on?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

He crouched down in front of her. His hands reached out to touch her legs, but he stopped himself. It was his first instinct to reach out and comfort her, but he couldn't do that. The one person he… well he loved, and he couldn't even give her a comforting touch. "I should've told you last night, Marie," he said softly. "I shouldn't have waited."

She blinked at him with watery eyes. "You knew this would happen? _This_ is what you wanted to tell me last night?"

Slowly and cautiously, he placed his hand on her knees. She didn't stop him this time. "I made a mistake," he said sincerely. "I should've told you last night. It was just so lucky that I even found you, and it slipped my mind until late last night. Can you blame me?"

Her head dropped hopelessly. "I just want this to go away," she whimpered, tears staining her jeans.

Logan's strong hands gripped her shoulders tightly. "This is not a curse, kid," he said forcefully. "You need to see that."

Tears continued to slip down her face as she raised her head to look at him. "But, Logan, you'll… you'll never be able to touch me again."

His shoulders shrugged. "That's okay," he said, meaning it. "We'll live."

Her gaze shifted to the truck. "We'll never have sex again…"

Logan hesitated for a second. The little demon in his head was kicking his brain repeatedly for not realizing it. "It'll be fine," he replied, not so convincingly.

She frowned. "But Logan…" Her voice left her. It wouldn't let her vocalize her new steadily-growing fear. "I don't want to lose you," she finally whispered.

He couldn't stop the smile that took over his face, and his fingers laced through her gloved ones. "You think you're gonna lose me 'cause we can't have sex?" He paused for her nod of response. A chuckle fell from his lips. "Kid, I would never leave you 'cause of that. I don't care, okay?"

When his eyes met hers, she nodded again, allowing a smile to grace her lips. "Okay," she whispered.

Logan pulled her into him, making sure that his skin only touched clothed parts of her body. Her head rested on the shoulder of his leather jacket.

That's when he smelled something unusual. Quickly, he pulled away from her. He jumped to his feet and sniffed the air. There was trouble. Rogue opened her mouth to speak but whatever she intended to say was lost.

A sudden burst of flame came flying at them from somewhere among the trees. It hit Rogue on the chest, making her scream a scream that could've broken eardrums.

* * *

AN: Thanks for all the reviews. And sorry that I didn't post last week but things have been a little hectic lately.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

* * *

Chapter 10

Quickly, Logan jumped to his feet, claws drawn. He looked around wildly, trying to catch a glimpse of their attacker. How had he not smelled the trouble sooner? The air reeked of it.

Rogue whimpered, gaining his attention. "Kid," he said as he took a step toward her.

But when he turned, he finally saw who'd attacked them: Pyro. He stepped out of the trees, laughing, with fireballs in hand.

Anger flooded Logan's body and he charged toward the young man. Unfortunately, he didn't get close enough.

A large animal-like person launched out from the trees and tackled Logan, taking him off his path toward Pyro. The overpowering smell of the fuel Pyro used had masked the familiar stench of the second attacker. And now as Logan was pinned, with claws ripping at his skin, he realized that they'd been locked in battle before.

"Why can't you just die?" Logan barked.

Sabertooth smirked. "Not before you."

With as much force as he could muster, Logan kicked at Sabertooth's chest with both feet, knocking him backward. Logan rolled to his feet and redrew his claws, as his opponent did the same.

Now, ready to get in on the action, Pyro flanked around to get a better shot at Logan. Unfortunately for him, he could find no open shot, without Sabertooth in the way. "Give me an opening, man!" he shouted. "Let me at him!"

Meanwhile, Rogue was curled up in pain, tears in her eyes. The burn on her chest made breathing hurt. She needed Logan's help to heal her.

As the thought crossed her mind, the pain in her chest started to… well, unless she was going crazy, it was starting to hurt less. Afraid, she glanced down at her chest. The bloody, burned skin was healing, returning to normal. She gasped. Had she really just healed herself?

Logan and Sabertooth began circling each other as Pyro closed in, dying for a chance to strike and vocalizing it annoyingly. "I want in!" he shouted as he wandered in too close.

Fed up with the annoying teenager, Logan flung a determined kick backward. His foot made contact with Pyro's chest, sending the young man across the opening.

He landed short of Rogue, startling her. She quickly jumped to her feet and backed away from her former friend.

He smirked as he got to his feet. "Well, well, look who's coming around," he hissed.

After planting the kick to Pyro, Logan launched himself at Sabertooth. He sunk his claws into his opponent and slammed him against the truck, making Sabertooth roar.

Rogue continued backing away from Pyro until she was backed against a tree. His eyes sparkled with malice as he advanced. "Nowhere to go."

She glanced around, desperate for a way out. Her gaze locked onto Logan, who was bashing Sabertooth's head against the truck. She was stuck.

"He can't help you," Pyro taunted, approaching her slowly. "I bet right now you're wishing you hadn't gotten the cure. Right?" He stopped less than a foot from her, and his smirk grew. "Not that you were of much use before anyways."

Logan withdrew his claws from Sabertooth, who was now unconscious, and turned. Once he caught sight of where Rogue and Pyro were, he charged toward them.

Rogue went to her knees as a protective move. Pyro glared down at her, enjoying this too much. She was panicked. She needed to do something, _anything_.

Logan rushed closer, but he knew that he wouldn't reach her before the younger man struck. Pyro saw him approaching. He knew he had to act now.

The fuel source clicked and Rogue knew what was coming. The flame burst from Pyro's hands and she did the only thing that she could think of: she put her hands up in front of her face, palms out, and her eyes shut tight, wishing that something would stop it.

And then something did. All of the sudden, a chill filled the air around her. Her hands felt freezing. The pain of the expected fire never came.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Pyro stood in front of her, dumbfounded. At his feet was a block of ice with jagged spires and vicious spikes. It looked like a frozen flame. "How did you-" Pyro started, backing away a few steps.

The rest of his sentence was lost when Logan finally reached them. He swept an arm backwards, catching Pyro's chest with a loud cracking sound. The momentum sent him flying and he landed across the clearing.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked her.

She stared at her hands in shock. "Yeah," she gasped. "I iced him."

"I saw," he replied. He looked over his shoulder at Pyro, who was slowly and painfully getting to his feet.

However, he didn't see as Sabertooth stood and moved toward them slowly.

"Let's get the hell out of here, kid," Logan said, taking her by the hand.

They ran for his motorcycle, their hands releasing each other. He led the way, still neither of them noticing Sabertooth.

Sabertooth moved toward Pyro, wanting to make sure his partner was alright. Once he saw he was, he turned his attention back to the two X-Men.

Desperate and dizzy, Pyro could make out the two forms running towards… towards the truck, he thought. He had to stop them. He aimed and launched a flame at the truck. The fuel in the gas tank caught and the truck went up in a loud explosion, clothing and all of Rogue's possessions flying out in all directions.

The force of the explosion knocked Rogue backward about ten feet. Logan, however, being closer to the truck, was flung back to the trees. Sabertooth was able to stick his ground while Pyro struggled to stay upright.

The world swam before Logan's eyes as his regenerative capabilities worked on healing him. He watched helplessly as Sabertooth picked Rogue up by the back of her shirt. She screamed and Logan tried to move. But he couldn't yet.

He watched groggily as Sabertooth said something to her. She struggled in his grasp before finally she bit down on the tip of her middle finger. Yanking her head back, the glove slid off her hand.

The world seemed to move in slow motion for Logan. He finally managed to get to his feet. And as he did, Rogue flung her hand out, her exposed skin making contact with Sabertooth's skin. Veins popped out over his skin and the color drained from him as well as all energy.

He sunk to the ground, his eyes dilated. His breathing slowed, and he wasn't moving.

Rogue turned to Logan who was running toward her. "Let's go!" he yelled at her. She raced over to the motorcycle and they both mounted it. It roared to life and it turned on a dime to race past Pyro. But as they did, they heard him exclaim, "The brotherhood has returned!"

The declaration fazed neither Logan nor Rogue as they headed back onto the road. Once they were finally a good, safe distance away, Rogue leaned forward and called over the engine, "Where are we going?"

"Where ever we want!" he shouted back.

Her grip tightened on his waist and she clung to him with a smile on her face.

* * *

Pyro leaned down, clutching his side, and picked up the "X" belt that had been thrown from the truck in the explosion.

"A success, I would say," a familiar voice said from the trees.

Pyro looked up at the third member of their party. "What do you mean success? They got away. And I think I broke a rib."

The older man shrugged. "But they know we're here now." His gaze settled on the belt, and he asked, "What is that?"

Before Pyro could answer, the chromed belt buckle hovered out of his hand and zoomed toward his partner. The wrinkled hand caught it, and he examined the object. A smirk came over his face. _A tracking device…_ he thought. _They thought they could track the wolverine…_

"I thought it looked cool," Pyro said.

Magneto grinned and tossed it back to the young man. "Keep it if you wish."

He walked over to the immobile form of Sabertooth and gave it a swift kick. "Get up. We have work to do."

* * *

AN: So, this was my first real action sequence that I've ever written. I think I could've done better, but at least I got this chapter up. There will be an epilogue and then a sequel, but I'm not sure when I will start posting the sequel. Special thanks to desvistat0r who sent me a message at one in the morning, telling me to get my ass in gear and get this up. Otherwise it probably wouldn't have been up until late Thursday night instead of early, early Thursday morning. Anyways, please review!


	11. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

Epilogue

"Keep in touch, Logan," Storm demanded into the phone. "I want you to keep me posted on where you are."

Bobby knocked lightly on the doorframe, and she waved him in, still distracted by her phone call. "Once a week, Logan. I mean it. Once every seven days or I'm sending the juniors after you." She sighed. "Goodbye."

As she set the phone back in its cradle, Bobby took a seat across from her. "Was that Wolverine?" he asked anxiously.

She nodded, the frustration on her face obvious. "He found Rogue," she replied.

His eyes widened in excitement and a smile spread across his face. "Really? Where are they?"

She shook her head with another sigh. "I don't know," she muttered. "And I think he found the tracker in his belt because it's not working. I think he turned it off."

"How could he do that?"

"Well," Storm corrected, "I think he broke it."

This lack of information didn't faze the boy. "Well, when are they coming back?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

Bobby's excitement was starting to fade. "But… what are they doing?"

Storm pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know."

That answer was starting to annoy him. "Why aren't they coming back?"

Her long fingers tapped against her desk impatiently. "All he said was that there was something that they needed to do."

His brow furrowed. "But they're coming back, right?"

She smiled. Finally, a question she could answer positively. "Yes," she said confidently. Then added, not-so-confidently, "Eventually…"

**End**

**AN: IMPORTANT NOTE! There will be a sequel! Did you guys really think that I'd end it there? Anyways, I'm in the middle of writing it, and the first chapter will be posted in a few weeks. I will post a notice in this story when it is up! Please review!**

**PS. I know this was short, but I did that on purpose. Later!**


	12. SEQUEL IS UP!

Hey People! I promised you only a few weeks and I kept my word. Three weeks later, it's here. The sequel to Where We Started called Going Back Home. It is now up. Look for it and enjoy!

Your friendly neighborhood MonsterChild.


End file.
